I'm Back in Business

Last night we rode the quick six and while the boys were at scouts I did laundry and dishes and caught a movie.  My mouth is MUCH better so Saturday I'll try for 8-10 and Sunday I'll see if I can get something longer.  It's going to be a weird few weeks - one of the bridges that we use for the majority of our rides will be under construction and closed.  We'll get in more short hill climbs, and the big hill by our house will probably be out of the route for awhile, which is both good and bad. 

It's prom weekend for Lincoln Southeast and we'll be working at post prom making sure the kids are fed and hydrated, hopefully it will be a fun time for all of us!  To help me recover I'm going to take Monday off!

Record Breaking Temperatures

The last two days in Lincoln have been 90 degrees - in April - which is unusually hot for us.  The peonies we got last year are pretending like they don't know it's spring but my lambs ear and iris are blooming like crazy and our backyard is perfumed with lily of the valley.  With any luck Sunday and Monday I'll be able to spend some time in the front flower bed getting weeds and leaves out.  The next few days are supposed to be cooler and rainy so that will help my cause. 

Last night I was still exhausted from dental work so we rode around the block, took Cache for a very short walk and watched lots of NCIS.  Hopefully tonight we can get some distance in, especially with Brian taking the scouts for 20 miles on Saturday.

Limited Riding

Yesterday morning I left work early for an appointment with the oral surgeon and had my top back molar extracted.  There was a crack in the tooth running along the root line so there wasn't much they could do for it. In 3-4 months I can decide if I want to have a post and implant done to replace the tooth, however my regular dentist and the oral surgeon both said that people generally don't miss that particular tooth when they are without it. 

We spent the day watching movies and drinking extra liquids.  Got to see Erik perform with the LSE Drumline at the Lincoln Safe Kids event which was nice.  We rode once around the block.  Starting Thursday the area will be healed more and I can ride longer distances.  Not the best time to get something done but I'm sure it will be good in the long run.

Oh Errand Girl!

Last night was a whirlwind of errands at our house. After work I had to take care of a few things for the band, we had my mom over for dinner, Brian mowed at my mom's house and Erik looked for more scholarship money. We only rode around the block, and hopefully today I'll be allowed to ride after my dental appointment. The boys needs to be ready to ride 20 this weekend (weather permitting) and I am definitely behind on my training schedule!

Cake, Wine and Electronics

It was a wonderful and busy weekend. Friday as soon as we got off work Brian and I packed up and left for Kansas City. We enjoyed dinner with Uncle Wayne and Aunt Mary and checked into the hotel quickly before heading to the Uptown Theater for a Very Special Night with Cake. It was SO awesome to see the band in a small venue and there was no opening act. They played the first set, took a quick break and played the second set and one encore. After dinner we stopped at the Waffle House (because we have to do that whenever we go to KC) and then slept 4 hours and raced back to Lincoln for the LSE Band Electronics Recycling event. We had a good morning ($442 in donations and monitor fees) and then I met Brian and Erik for the scout bike ride. We capped off the day with dinner at our house and a trip to Menard's for outdoor solar lighting.

Sunday morning we got groceries, went to church, got a little yard work done and then went to Wunder Rosa for a wine tasting and came home with two bottles, their Capital City Red is a deep, rich, sweet, wine that will be nice for a night out on the deck. We also picked up a bottle of Cottontail which will be perfect with dessert - maybe we'll have dessert and wine for dinner the week after Erik's graduation.

Friday we rode quickly around the block before we left, Saturday Erik did 20 miles, Brian had 15 and I rode around the block and Sunday we all rode 5 miles together - and bumped into Vicki at the end of the ride =) Hopefully tonight we can get a little distance and slip into bed early!

I Need a Parka

Yesterday was a busy day with 5 loads of laundry, a stop at church, a stop at the grocery, store, a full day of work and getting the boys ready for scouts and Brian and I ready for the Cake concert. With all our "real" responsibilities there was no bike riding until 9 last night when they got home. Riding at 40 degree's, in the dark, with a light mist is REALLY cold, so we went once around the block and got ready for bed. Today will be a super shorty but Saturday and Sunday have promise for longer rides =) Tomorrow after the band electronics recycling event the Brian, Erik and the scouts will be doing their first 15 mile ride so hopefully the kids have been getting out and getting some time on their bikes!

300 Posts - and A Beautiful Night

Last night we rode down to the zoo and back - just over 11 miles, and maintained pretty good speed. The trails were congested since it was the first time in a week that Lincoln didn't have any recorded wind gusts over 30mph. It was a gorgeous night to ride and we would have gone farther but I have a little pain in my ankle. I'm hoping that it's just because they are forecasting storms for the area today.

I can't believe this is my 300th post - kind of wild that I have been blogging for three years now and gotten this far. After three years we still like paying the mortgage, married life is sweet, we can park one car in the garage, the landscaping still needs to be done and we are going to try again this year to ride a metric - we'll see how it goes!

17 Rides Down

Last night we used the bikes to help run errands and rode up - in very brisk wind - to pay the cable bill. When we got home we packed Cache up and drove to Blockbuster to exchange a movie and then Cache and I walked home while Brian drove home to start on homework. We left a message for the dog behavior specialist and will hopefully be working with her, the weekend of the 28th when we are beyond sleep deprived.

This morning I submitted my official registration confirmation for Concordia and classes start in 3 weeks. I feel a little overwhelmed at the moment but I'm sure things will be ok once I get started!

A Cloudy Quick Six

We had a surprisingly busy Monday - Brian saw Erik perform in the district music competition, I had an appointment with the rheumatologist to monitor my Vitamin D levels, Brian and I went to our last round of parent/teacher conferences at Southeast, we got the RAV and Brian's work car washed, we ate dinner and then we rode the quick six. It's a good training route from our house to Shopko with a couple good climbs and nice flats for working on speed. Last night the trails were packed with runners. We rode fast in case of rain and then caught a movie with Erik before bed. It was a nice way to spend a cloudy Monday =)

Diane and Greg flew out of Lincoln yesterday for a week in Rome - hopefully they are enjoying a wonderful trip!

Beat the Clock, Beat the Storm

Friday night before Titanic we did a nice five mile ride, I had hoped we could get our run in but it was a busy afternoon with errands and appointments. Saturday morning we jumped out of bed and made it through getting groceries. It was VERY odd, when we went into the grocery store there was no fog and when we came back out, 25 minutes later, we couldn't see the parking lot from the doors of the store. We jumped on the bikes about 8:30 and got in 11 miles before the first round of rain. Lincoln ended up with nearly 3 inches in 24 hours.

Erik and his friend Matthew made an effort to go to the Red/White game at Memorial Stadium but the weather channel guys got the best of sporting officials and the game was cancelled at kickoff - not to worry though, the boys EASILY ate their $10 a ticket in free concessions. Saturday night the tornado sirens went off so we assessed the situation and went back to bed =)

Sunday was packed full with a baptism at Southpointe Christian for Brian's cousin, lunch at his aunt's house and dog class for Cache at church. Lincoln had high winds forecast so we rode early and did 2 miles with thunder echoing above us. Sunday night we watched a little TV and went to bed early in preparation for another busy week!

One Packed Weekend

Brian and the other scout leaders have cancelled the camp out this weekend due to the threat for severe weather. Tonight I'm going to Titanic the musical with friends, tomorrow morning I'll get to spend some time with my friend Vicki, then a few band projects, Erik is going to the Spring Game (you'll remember we all went together in 2009) and we're having my family over for dinner. Sunday morning one of Brian's cousin's is being baptized and of course we need to spend some time with out bikes.

Last night meetings ran long and Erik got fitted in his tux for prom so we got a short ride, but no run and then it POURED down rain for a couple hours. Hopefully we can get things done outside in between storms =)

A Week in Demand

This week we have been booked to the gills - we had a band meeting last night that I thought would run an hour but it ran two, and even though I keep thinking we are done, we continue to get fringe assignments. Tonight we have a committee meeting at scouts, and then I have a deacons meeting at church. When I get home I'll have to take on the laundry since it is threatening to take over the house. The weekend is already mostly booked as well. It's funny how quickly the hours fill!

Last night we rode the quick six and it felt fantastic - it was a gorgeous night and my legs felt good, I think we both could have put in 15-20 miles last night if we hadn't had any other responsibilities. With any luck we won't have to run or ride in the rain tonight!

Z is for Zysset

Over the weekend I got what felt like a little blister in the back of my mouth above my last tooth. It hasn't been sore but continues to feel swollen so I ran over to the dentist yesterday to see what it was. Good thing I went - there is an infection in the gums because the tooth cracked around the filling which means that Tuesday, April 24th I'll be having the tooth pulled. In 3-4 months I can decide if I want a permanent implant to replace it. I'm lucky because it really doesn't hurt at all - but kind of annoyed that I'm having to have a tooth pulled.

Last night the grad school webinar was ok - it was nice to learn more about the program director but I wish they had separate programs for current students and candidates. May 7 is the first day of school =) Hopefully I'll get a list of textbooks soon!

Sometimes People are so Snotty!

And this week I am one of them! I thought I was having an allergy problem but I think it might actually be a cold. It is making it very challenging to run. Last night I made it through the first section of running ok, even though I was slower than normal but I really couldn't get through the second stretch. Hopefully tonight I'll feel a little better. After Brian mowed at my mom's and most of our house we rode our bikes around the block and went to bed.

Tonight I have a virtual open house for grad school - kind of exciting - I'm hoping they'll be able to answer some questions and give me information so that I can get books ordered.

Thank You Easter Bunny!

Our Easter weekend was kind of a blur! Friday evening we did a quick 2 mile ride and then did our run over in the cemetary. Even though I was still feeling ill the run seemed to make me feel a little more with it. Saturday morning Brian and Erik helped out one of the scouts with his Eagle Scout project and we rode 2 miles after dinner.

Easter Sunday was busy for all from beginning to end. We enjoyed the sunrise service at church, then had breakfast and rang bells at the 8 and 9:30 services. After church we had lunch with Erik, then went back to church so that we could deliver Easter lillies to our shut-ins. Then it was back home to finish cleaning and get ready to host Easter dinner. After all the guests were gone we rode our bikes around the block and then I slugged down a shot of NyQuil and went to bed. I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon so I'll see if they vote cold, allergies or infection. I'm just ready to be over it - we are one day behind in our running schedule so we'll need to get that made up and I need to get some miles under my belt!

Human and Mechanical Failures

I know I've been whining but really - we are triple booked this week, and then some! Wednesday night we planned to ride the quick six before the rain (that never really came) but Brian's bike is in desperate need of a tune-up so we only did 2 miles. After that I worked on preparations for the Seder at our church for Thursday night and Brian read all about marketing plans for small businesses.

Thursday I felt terrible all day - I am praying that it's allergies and nothing exciting =) after work we packed up our Seder stuff and headed to church for a very informative evening and my first ever attempt at Matzo Ball soup. It will probably also count as my last ever attempt! We didn't leave church until 9:00 p.m. and had to be up at 4:30 this morning - so we skipped the Thursday run and will do it this evening. The three of us jumped on our bikes and rode around the block so that we could count it towards the 30 rides in 30 days - next week looks a lot better for our schedules so hopefully we'll be able to get some distance in!

Landscaping

We are planning some changes to the landscaping in our front yard this spring and it's proving to be quite challenging! We aren't 100% sure what we want to put in and how much we want to do before Erik's graduation. Yesterday after work Cache and I went for a 40 minute walk with the goal of identifying landscaping I like for ideas. Then we had bell practice, shopping for the Seder dinner for church, a quick bike ride and a little dog training. Honestly sometimes I don't know where the days go.

I'm hoping that there will be a short break in the rain tonight for our ride - I know that I won't melt riding in the rain, but it's definitely not my favorite weather for cycling!

Running Before Bed

Yesterday was PACKED full - Brian had a doctors appointment after work that lasted 90 minutes, my mom came over for dinner and a project, we had post-prom committee meeting, we had to stop at the store for diet soda and bananas, and when we got home we still had to get in our run and our ride. Last night was a 9 minute run, which doesn't sound like much, but after such a long day it was both energizing and exhausting. We got home from the run, changed shoes and jumped on our bikes for a quick ride around the block. This whole week is slated to be a busy one for us - hopefully we won't be working out at 9 every night this week =)

I'm looking at organized rides and thinking that for Mother's Day weekend it might be fun to head down to Fairbury - we'll have to see what the rest of our schedule looks like!

30 Rides in 30 Days

I did the challenge last year in May and survived - in all honesty the plan really helped me to bond with my bike and to be ok with riding alone. 30 rides in 30 days is a national cycling project/challenge to ride your bike every single day - rain or shine - in the month of April. It doesn't matter how far you ride as long as you get out every day. Brian is doing the cycling merit badge with scouts this spring so we have challenged the kids to do 30 in 30 as well and if they succeed we'll celebrate with a pizza party.

It was a WILD weekend, Friday I spent time with Diane and the kids checking out possible plants for the re-landscaping project at our house and watched a movie in the evening. Saturday morning we had dog class and then the scouts had a hot afternoon ride. Our evening was mostly quiet, getting ready for band stuff and helping Erik with the prom date project. Saturday morning's run went surprisingly well for me - I am remembering the enjoyment I got from running before and the ability for it to clear my head.

Sunday we left the house in the dark for April Tuba's/Fool's Day and pranked 13 houses - the kids had a great time. In the afternoon we rested, made dinner - did a ton of laundry and rode 5 miles from our house up to Essex and back - for the boys it was a recovery ride, for me it was the first ride of the 30 in 30 challenge. Tonight we are triple booked so hopefully everything will go according to plan!